Setting

Mrs Tracy Millard St Hugh’s Communication and Interaction Specialist College Bushfield Road Scunthorpe DN16 1NB

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Moving through the system

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 12 November 2008 to look at work on developing the future economic well-being of students in your school. I also looked at how well arrangements are made to support students during their transition from primary school and into adult life.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Moving through the system

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions, but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Moving through the system

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included scrutiny of relevant documentation and observation of one careers lesson. It also included interviews with staff, representatives of agencies involved in securing students’ futures and a representative sample of students.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Moving through the system

Overall, your work in developing the future economic well-being of students in your school is good. Most students face great challenges in adult life because of their severe or complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Nearly all students become more self-confident and responsible individuals as they pass through the school. A recent survey found that most students had the opportunity to learn the value of money and how to handle it sensibly but also highlighted the fact that a few did not. As a result of this, there has been an appropriate focus on redressing the issue. Students welcome opportunities to work constructively with others and become increasingly independent and responsible for their own actions. They develop a good awareness of their situation and learn how to deal with changes in their circumstances. As they near the end of their time in school, they develop a good awareness

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Moving through the system

of future options available to them, tempered by a realistic awareness of their limits. The majority of students are unlikely to enter the conventional world of work but the school prepares them well for adult life in alternative supported situations and adult training.

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Features of effective practice:

 Students are helped to grow in confidence. They develop the skills they need to secure successful futures for themselves and learn about what they can contribute to the benefit of society. Older students are given good advice about their future options. A good preparation for adult life lesson for Year 11 students emphasised how their time in school was rapidly coming to an end and what they had to do to secure what they wanted for Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Textphone 0161 618 8524 T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0207 421 5642 Direct F 0207 421 6746 Mark.Hogan@ofsted.gov.uk themselves, rather than having their futures dictated to them. In this lesson, students were given good advice on to how to use computers to find out about the options open to them and how to apply for college courses. The need for students to take responsibility for their own lives was strongly promoted.

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Features of effective practice:

 No student is denied the opportunity to experience what life is like after leaving school. Those who are able to are given opportunities to take on simple duties in short work experience placements away from the school. Those who, for reasons linked to their learning difficulties and/or disabilities or other extenuating circumstances, cannot benefit from these experiences are provided with good opportunities to take on jobs within the supportive and secure setting of the school. These include catering and caretaking duties, which boost students’ sense of usefulness and contribution to the school community.  The most able students work towards qualifications. They achieve passes at the lower levels of the General Certificate in Secondary Education (GCSE) in English, mathematics, science and information communication technology. Many more gain passes in entry level qualifications. The wide range of accreditation ensures that no student leaves

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Features of effective practice:

school without gaining qualifications which confirm their achievement. These qualifications help to boost students’ sense of self-worth.  Effective work with other schools and colleges ensures that students’ transition into and out of the school is made as trouble free as possible. At every stage, parents and all other agencies involved in securing better futures for students are fully consulted. Students are encouraged to contribute as much as they can to the forward planning of their future lives.

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Areas for further improvement, which we discussed, include:

 Extending opportunities for students to gain experience of college courses and/or alternative provision at an earlier stage than is currently the case.  Exploring the possibility of incorporating work experience over a longer term, so that it becomes an integral part of student’s preparation for leaving school rather than an isolated experience before they do so.

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Areas for further improvement, which we discussed, include:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop economic well-being in the school.

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Areas for further improvement, which we discussed, include:

As I explained, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on the Ofsted website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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